Two-Fisted Food Fighter: Meet Our New In-House Beachbody® Nutritionist

As we say 'round here at Beachbody, exercise is only half the battle. No matter what your goals are, 50 percent of fitness is nutrition. Or as Tony Horton puts it, "Abs are made in the kitchen."
So it's only right that Beachbody should have the brightest and the best working for us when it comes to food. With that in mind, we're proud to introduce to you our new in-house nutritionist, Ani Aratounians, MS, RD.



Ani is what we in the food world call a "double-fisted nutritionist." On one hand, you've got her education—a master's in family environmental sciences with an emphasis in nutrition and food science from California State University, Northridge—combined with her 13 years of experience fighting the good food fight at companies like Nestlé^®. During the same period, she's been spreading the word about healthy eating on Spanish-language channels like Univision^® and Telemundo^®. (Plus she's trilingual—she speaks English, Spanish, and Armenian.)
On the other hand, she's a true foodie. She grew up in Barcelona, Spain, where her grandmother instilled in her a love of food and an in-depth knowledge of Mediterranean cuisine. After Ani moved to the States, her passion for and about food grew to include Latin American fare. The lady knows how to cook.
Put the two hands together and you get a dietetic/culinary one-two punch that'll do a lot of damage in our ongoing fight to End the Trend^® of obesity.
Our new tough-as-nails nutritionist took a little time recently to chat with me about her views to give everyone the chance to learn what she's bringing to Beachbody. Welcome, Ani!

Why'd you decide to go into the field of nutrition?

I struggled with weight from childhood through my teenage years, and kids can be cruel when it comes to being "plump" (my grandma's constantdescriptor of how I looked). Don't get me wrong—I am forever grateful to my grandma, who taught me the basics of cooking, but she also taught me the basics of overeating.
I was lucky to pick up nutrition books from a young age. I started learning about healthy eating and not falling prey to the extreme dieting that can lead to a lifetime of eating disorders. I learned to eat right and was able to redesign all of our family recipes into healthier ones . . . my passion for nutrition and the culinary arts was born.

What's your basic philosophy on nutrition?

I have three bullet points that describe my philosophy. Enjoy and follow:

1. Let nature be your guide. Eat clean, fresh, organic, whole—how nature intended.
2. Let health be your goal, and let a beautiful physique be the bonus.
3. Let physical activity balance your life. Don't think you have it all covered with just food. Exercise is 50 percent of the equation.

So physical activity is important to you?

Physical activity not only benefits your body but also your mind. Let's not forget that our bodies were designed to move (and not just from the couch to the fridge!) and stay active to achieve optimal health—mental and physical.

What sports do you do?

I'm a tennis junkie. I play and compete almost 10 hours a week. It's the sport that keeps me happily active. I recommend that everyone finds a sport or exercise that makes you forget you're actually exercising, then you find yourself drenched at the end of a session. That's what tennis does to me; it's also my therapist! What a great way to get your nerves in check.

Have you done P90X^®? How'd that work out for ya?

I did P90X last year and . . . wow! It was tough, but it definitely gave me an edge in my fitness, especially when I was competing. Now P90X2™ is coming out, and I heard it takes things to a completely different level. Maybe I'll be the first 40-year-old who turns tennis pro! Let's not push it, but I really want to try it and see what it can do for me. My Coach always recommends that I do yoga for flexibility (so I can do the splits like Serena Williams, and hit a forehand at the same time). I was in the yoga test group for P90X2, and it was incredible.

What did you make for dinner last night?

I cook very simply on weeknights, so I can spend quality time with the kids after work. I marinated organic skinless Cornish hen the night before with fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, chopped garlic, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. I baked it at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes, along with sliced sweet potatoes (with the skin on—that's where a lot of the nutrients and fiber reside) and served it with a fresh green salad, with homemade oil and vinegar dressing.

Do your kids think you're a food fascist?

Sometimes! I will not lie and say it's easy to keep my kids eating healthy all the time. I have very healthy foods at home, but I cannot, and refuse to, control what they eat at birthday parties, friends' homes, etc. I had to find a balance between teaching them to eat healthy and "depriving" them of "fun foods." I try to teach them the basics of healthy nutrition, and I'm a role model for them. They see me eat the right things all the time, and hopefully they'll grow to appreciate their health as their mom does. When they complain, I say to them, "If I'm not giving you a food that everyone else is eating, it's because I love you."

What do you hope to bring to Beachbody?

I decided to join Beachbody because I felt that they walk their talk. If I can help to elevate their philosophy to an even higher level with my passion for health and my creative and healthy but delicious recipes, I've done my part.

Isn't that Denis Faye great? He must be fun to work with, huh?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! But seriously, I am part of a wonderful team. You, Steve Edwards, and Stephanie Saunders are incredibly talented, passionate, and knowledgeable. I look up to all of you, and I'm learning so much . . . it's hard to keep up, but I like the challenge!

What's the biggest mistake Americans make with their diet?

You mean mistakes? In random order:

1. They drink their calories.
2. They skip meals.
3. They eat portions fit for an entire family.
4. They don't exercise.
5. They eat processed foods.

What's the biggest piece of advice you have for athletes from a nutritional perspective?
Just as physical activity can be 50 percent of the equation for a healthier body, adequate nutrition is 50 percent of the equation in athletic performance. Athletes need to educate themselves on the power of food and its effect on their training. Each sport or exercise regimen needs a personalized nutrition plan for optimal results.

By Denis Faye

Sweet Potato Fries

You'll never go back to regular fries after eating these. So yummy!!


Ingredients:
Olive oil
Handful of fresh rosemary
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. sweet potatoes

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet lightly wirth olive oil. Spread rosemary evenly on baking sheet. Mix together all  ingredients except for sweet potatoes in a small bowl.

Thoroughly scrub sweet potatoes and pat dry. Slice off ends of potatoes and slice into fries. Place potatoes on top of rosemary. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture. Lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake 20 minutes.
Stir fries and return to oven for 25 minutes or until golden. Makes 6 servings.


Nutritional information: Calories: 44, Protein: 1 g., Carbs: 13 g., Fat: 0 g.

Avoiding Portion Distortion

Sixty-five percent of Americans are overweight or obese. A contributing factor to this epidemic is the inability to eat appropriate portion sizes. The ability to "size up" appropriate portions of each exchange on the Food Guide Pyramid is an important part of maintaining a healthful and balanced diet. Try these everyday guidelines to get your portions back into proportion:

• 1/2 cup fruit, veggie, cooked cereal, pasta, or rice = a small fist
• 3 ounces cooked meat, poultry, or fish = a deck of cards
• 1 tortilla = a small (7 inch) plate
• 1/2 bagel = the width of a large coffee lid
• 1 muffin = a large egg
• 1 teaspoon of margarine or butter = a thumb tip
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter = a golf ball
• 1 small baked potato = a computer mouse
• 1 pancake or waffle = a 4-inch CD
• 1 medium apple or orange = a baseball
• 4 small cookies (like vanilla wafers) = four casino chips
• 1 1/2 ounces of cheese = 6 dice

If you think that these portions are too skimpy, slow down your eating, and remember that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that your stomach has had enough. Bon appetit!

20 Tips to Getting Fit

1. Keep a water bottle with you at all times and drink from it often. Water should always be your drink of choice. To kick things up every once in a while, try adding lemon, lime, cucumber, or a few berries to liven up the flavor without adding significant calories. 
2. Look at exercise as a pleasure and a privilege, not a burden or chore. Think positively about the changes regular exercise will produce. Rather than obsessing about your next meal, get excited about your next workout!

3. Eat well-balanced meals and remember that excess calories, even if they're from food that's fat free and high in protein, will turn to excess weight. No matter what the latest fad diet says, extra calories equal extra weight!
4. Limit caffeine and exposure to even secondhand smoke.
5. Focus on short-term fitness goals with an emphasis on completing daily exercise.
6. Keep a daily log of what you're actually eating. This includes every time you grab a handful of chips here or eat the crust of your kid's sandwich there, and ALL of your snacking.
7. Enjoy an occasional (once a week) "unhealthy" treat, but never an unhealthy week or unhealthy vacation.

8. Enjoy contributing to the health of others by having a partner or friends to exercise with, as well as recruiting others who want to feel better and have more energy. Have a neighbor who's sitting on the porch every morning when you walk by? Ask him or her to join you on your walk!
9. Avoid monotony by taking up new forms of exercising, or using things that keep you motivated and inspired, like new shoes or great music.
10. Subscribe to fitness magazines to keep focused on health as an overall way of life.

11. Invest in the right tools—good shoes, a portable MP3 player or iPod^®, fitness equipment, a new series of tapes, etc.
12. Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 6 or 7 days a week. If some days you exercise once in the morning and once in the evening, even better! If you're eating right, exercise will fuel your energy level!
13. Don't compare your body to others'. Instead, work to be your personal best.
14. If your diet is unbalanced, take daily vitamin and mineral supplements for total health.

15. Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity.
16. Create an exercise schedule the day before instead of leaving it to chance or waiting to "find" the time. If our last three Presidents of the United States can make time to work out every day, you can make time too!
17. Move beyond the boundaries of weight loss and into total fitness. Measure success by the way your clothes fit, not some number on a scale.
18. Stick with eating plans you can maintain indefinitely. Remember that no matter how hard you're working out, if you're consuming too many calories, you'll never see the muscles that lie beneath layers of fatty tissue.
19. Get adequate amounts of sleep, but remember that people who exercise regularly fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
20. Limit alcohol intake to special occasions.